Railway switch box connection



H. L. BONE RAILWAY SWITCH BOX CONNECTION Filed Oct. 24., 1936 NN I mm l vr-:NToR Hepbep' L .30229.

July i6, w40G HIS ATTORNEY Patented July 16, 1940 PATENT oFFica- RAILWAY SWITCH BOX CONNECTION Herbert L. Bone, ForestHills, Pa., assigner to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania 'Application October 24, 1 936, Serial No.` 107,494 f 1 Claim.

Myiinvention rrelates vto railway switch box 'connections that are used to connect switch boxes `withrailway switch points. Specifically, my invention relates to novel and improved connecting mechanisms that are utilized to connect a switch point and a switch box to a connecting rod.

As is well understood in the art, it is customary,

in connection with signaling and interlocking systems, to employ switch boxes, connected to the track switches, for the purpose of detecting in any suitable manner the position of the switch point with respect to the associated track rail. It is ordinarily desirable that the switch box should register the movement of the switch point through a small portion of its range but any lost motion in the connecting mechanism between lthe switch point and the switch box allows an increase in the range of travel before such travel is registered by the switch box. My invention is designed to provide a form of connecting mechanism in which this lost motion is automatically absorbed as it appears.

It also desirable that the motion of the Switchpoint, particularly when moving away from the associated track rail, should be transmitted instantly and. directly to the switch box since the switch box is relied upon to detect when the switch point is not in proper relationship to the associated track rail for the safe passage of traffic. In the usual form of connecting mechanism for taking up lost motion automatically, resilient means is employed in such a manner that the motion of the switch point when moving away from the associated track rail is transmitted through such means. Consequently, there is a possibility of the switch point moving away from the associated track rail without such movement being registered by the switch box. My invention is designed, not only to take up lost motion automatically, but also to transmit the motion of the switch point, when being moved away from the associated track rail, directly and rigidly to the switch box. That is, the connecting mechanism for absorbing lost motion is employed to transmit motion to the switch box only when the switch point is moved towards the associated track rail.

The present application is a continuation-inpart of my copending application, Serial No. 84,499, filed on June 10, 1936, for Railway switch box connection.

I will describe representative forms of connecting mechanisms embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features there- ,-,5 of in the claim.

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My invention will best be'understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan fragmentary view of a portion of a vrailway switch, its supporting tie,` a switch box, and connecting means between the switch box andtrack switch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sidel elevational View of the'arrangement shown in Fig. 1 with parts broken away to illustrate more clearly the construction of the connecting means embodying my invention.` f

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the two views.

In Fig. 1, the reference character I designates `an ordinary railway track tie. ports a track rail 2 which has a switch point 3 operating in conjunction therewith. Securely fastened to switch point 3 in any suitable and convenient manner is aswitch point lug 4 which is provided with a spherical head 5 at its free end;` r

The tie I valso supports an ordinary and wellknown switch box 6. This switch box is here lshown as of the type' having a protruding operating shaft 'I to which is connected an operating crank arm 8. A bolt 9 is fastened in any suitable manner to crank arm 8 such as by a nut I0. The bolt 9 is provided `at its free end with a spherical head Il.

In order to connect the head 5 with the head II, I provide a connecting rod I2 having on each end thereof connecting mechanism of novel construction. Y

The form of mechanism for connecting rod I2 with head 5 is best shown in Fig. 2. An upturned portion I3 of connecting rod I2 is provided with a concave spherical surface I4 in engagement with the outside surface, with respect to track rail 2, of head 5. Opposite the concave surface I4 and in engagement with the inside surface, with respect to track rail 2, of head 5 is a concave surface IB of a plunger I1. 'Ihe plunger I1 ts into a recessed portion IB of amating cap I9, and has a tail member encircled by an Outer spring 2| and an inner spring 22. One end of each spring bears against plunger I1 and the other end of each spring bears against the bottom of the recessed portion I8 of mating cap I9. The mating cap I9 is fastened to upturned portion I3 of rod I2 by a bolt 23 and a nut 24. The mating cap I9 is provided with a lug 25 which engages with the upturned portion I3 of rod I2 to hold the mating cap in proper alignment with bolt 23 while nut 24 is being tightened up.

This tie supl `parts are extended outwardly from the lug head,

this is a feature of practical advantage in that it protects these parts from the possibility of damage due to mechanical contact by dragging equipment of train vehicles which pass along the track. It will also be seen, moreover, that the further feature of employing the upturned portion of the controller rod I2 as half of the ball socket III-I6 likewise provides practical advantages. In particular, it eiectively eliminates the possibility of the objectionable lostmotion which becomes present with a loosening of the conventional separate rod-end tting when that fitting is `of the usual screw-attached or other equivalent type. Still further, it will be observed that use of the positioning projection 25 on the base portion of the member I9 allows but ya single bolt 23 adequately to secure this fitting to the upwardly extending portion of the controller rod.y Y

At the switch box end of theconnecting rod, another form of connecting mechanism, as here shown, comprises an adjustable member 2S which is screwed onto a threaded portion 2,1 of rod I2, and is held in position by a nut 28 and lock washer 29. The member 26 is provided at its free end with a recessed portion 30 enclosing head II. Disposed in theinner part of recessed portion 30 is a plunger 3| having a concave spherical ,surface 32 in engagement with the lsurface of head II on the side nearest the track rail. Encircling a tail member 33 of plunger 3| isa spring 34k having one end bearing against the bottom of recessed portion 30 and the` other end bearing against the plunger 3I. Threaded into the orifice 35 of recessed portion 30 is a member 36 having a concave spherical surface 31 in engagement with the surface of head II which is opposite from concave spherical surface 32. For holding the member 36 rmly in position, a key 38 is provided which extends through members 36 and 26,`

The above described construction is obviously one that will automatically absorb lost motion due to wear of the parts because springs 2|', 22, and 34 will hold the connecting surfaces tightly in engagement with each other. Furthermore, the connecting mechanism is such that motion transmitted from the switch point to the switch box, when the switch point is moving away from the rail,\will be transmitted'directly from head to upturned portion I3 or rod I2, and hence through rod I2 and member 36 to head II.y

Although I have herein shown and described only representative forms of connecting mechan nisms embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: n y

In a ball-and-socket connection, in combination, a first member having a substantially spherical end portion, a second member having therein a concave recess which is adapted to receive one side of said spherical end portion, a cooperating housing body having a cap portion which is adapted to fit over the other side of said spherical end portion and a base portion which includes' a positioning extension engageable with a mating portion of said second member, means for removably securingy said housing. base to said second member, a compression spring disposed within y Said housing cap, and a plunger urged by said spring against the said other side of the spherical i end portion of said first member and providedr with a bearing surface which is concavely shaped to receive said member end.

HERBERT L. BONE. 

